Computational sciences in general. In particular mathematical optimization theory and iterative methods for nonlinear problems. Current research is in the area of algorithms for constrained optimization problems and interior-point methods for linear and nonlinear programming.

Research Statement

Computational sciences in general. In particular mathematical optimization theory and iterative methods for nonlinear problems. Current research is in the area of algorithms for constrained optimization problems and interior-point methods for linear and nonlinear programming.

Computational sciences

Computational sciences in general. In particular mathematical optimization theory and iterative methods for nonlinear problems. Current research is in the area of algorithms for constrained optimization problems and interior-point methods for linear and nonlinear programming.

Computational sciences

Computational sciences in general. In particular mathematical optimization theory and iterative methods for nonlinear problems. Current research is in the area of algorithms for constrained optimization problems and interior-point methods for linear and nonlinear programming.

Teaching Areas

General area of optimization theory

Selected Publications

Refereed articles

The American Mathematical Monthly, 120(6): 500-518

On Averaging and Representation Properties of the BFGS and Related Secant Updates "Mathematical Programming Series A." Submitted

The Isoperimetric Problem Revisited: Extracting a Short Proof of Sufficiency from Eruler's 1744 Approach to Necessity "The American Mathematical Monthly." Submitted

As a member of The National Academies Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy; Committee on Underrepresented Groups and the Expansion of the S&E Workforce Pipeline "Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads." In Press

"What Universities Still Do Not Understand about Race in America." Doctoral Education and the Faculty of the Future, 2006-2007 CHERI Policy Research Conference, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. (October 2006) With Cynthia Johnson

Invited Talks

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Mexican American School Board Members Association Annual Convention (MASBA), Austin, Texas. (January 23, 2015)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Rice University Scholars Program (RUSP), Rice University, Houston, Texas. (March 24, 2015)

"I lived the American Dream: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and The National Medal Science." University of California-Merced, Merced, California. (May 15, 2015)

"I lived the American Dream: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and The National Medal of Science." Faculty Appreciation and Awards Luncheon, C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. (March 30, 2015)

"Inequality in the Stem Representation in Today’s Research 1 Universities: The Role of Racism." Scientia, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (December 8, 2015)

"Math at Top Speed - The Role of Mathematics in Science and in my Personal Life." Thinking Out Loud Workshop, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. (April 14-16, 2015)

"Math at Top Speed: Exploring and Breaking Myths in the Drag Racing Folklore." National Mathematics Festival, Washington, DC. ( April 16-18, 2015)

"Math at Top Speed: The Role of Mathematics in Science and in My Personal Life." MathFest, Washington, DC. (August 5-7, 2015)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and the National Medal of Science." Young Owls Leadership Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (June 4, 2015)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to The White House and The National Medal of Science." New Student Reception, HACER, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (August 15, 2015)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Distinguished Lecture on Diversity in Higher Education, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware. (October 12-16, 2014)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Distinguished Lecture on Diversity in Higher Education, Welch Conference, Houston, Texas. (October 27, 2014)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Distinguished Lecture on Diversity in Higher Education, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland. (December 12, 2014)

"From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the National Medal of Science at the White House." Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing, Seattle, Washington. (February 5-8, 2014)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and the National Medal of Science." Empowering Leadership Alliance, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas-Austin, Austin, Texas. (April 1, 2014)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and the National Medal of Science." Young Owls Leadership Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (June 3, 2014)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and the National Medal of Science." Excellence in Mentoring Lecture Series, University of Texas-El Paso, El Paso, Texas. (February 17-18, 2014)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and the National Medal of Science." Men of Honor Lecture Series, Houston Community College, Houston, Texas. (May 2, 2014)

"The Isoperimetric Problem Revisited: Extracting a Short Proof of Sufficiency from Euler’s 1744 Proof of Necessity." University of Texas-El Paso, El Paso, Texas. (February 17-18, 2014)

"The STEM Education Crisis: Understanding the Needs to Ensure Diversity and Inclusion toward US Competitiveness in the Technical Fields." 8th Annual Hispanic Family Conference, Engaging Hispanic Families: Why it Matters and How to do it Well, Pasadena, Texas. (February 27, 2014)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Rice School Mathematics Project, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (February 2)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." MGE@MSA, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona. (March 4)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." College Career Counseling, Grand Hall, RMC, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (October 1)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. (February 27-March 2)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Leadership." Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium, Department of Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. (January 21)

"What Universities Still Do Not Understand about Race in America." Doctoral Education and the Faculty of the Future, 2006-2007 CHERI Policy Research Conference, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. (October 2006)

"Success for All: A Personal and National Challenge." 2003 Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) Conference, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. (July 2003)

"Success for All: Its Challenges and Contradictions." University of New Mexico AGEP, Socorro, New Mexico. (September 2003)

"Success for all: A Personal and a National Challenge." IMPACT03, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. (March 2003)

"Communication at the Heart of a Community for Underrepresented Minorities and Women in Graduate School." The Sixth Annual Writing Across the Curriculum 2002 Conference, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (March 2002)

"How Computation is Changing Science and Mathematics." A Texas Leadership Conference: Using Modeling, Visualization, and Data Management as Tools for Transferring Current Research into High School Mathematical Sciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (March 2002)

"If It Is Fast and Effective, It Must Be Newton's Method." Department of Mathematics, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. (February 2002)

"Minority Mathematics Professor: Confessions of a Round Peg in a Square Hole." Issues for Ethnic Minorities and Women in Science and Engineering Lecture Series, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. (February 2002)

"National Science Foundation: Priorities and Opportunities." 2002 Governor's Conference on Science, Technology, and Mathematics Education, Leading Texas to the Next Level: No Child Left Behind and Beyond, Austin, Texas. (November 2002)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to The White House and The National Medal of Science." Tapia Math Science Scholars Program (TMSS), Rice University, Houston, Texas. (August 1, 2015)

"Crisis in Higher Education: The Need for New Understanding and New Leadership." National Science Board, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia. (May 6, 2014)

"My Unlikely Journey: From the Barrios of Los Angeles to the White House and the National Medal of Science." XSEDE and Empowering Leadership Alliance Webinar, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (April 8, 2014)

"Reactor for the paper entitled It's Not Rocket Science: 25 Years of Successful Latino Student Advancement and the Prospects for 25 Years More." by Gary Keller, and Antonio G. Garcia, which will appear in the July 2006 issue of The Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, Latino Achievement in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Invitational Conference, Princeton, New Jersey. (November 2005)

"Some Fundamental Issues in Affirmative Action, Admissions, Rentention, and Faculty Hiring." Alfred P. Sloan Engineering and Science Underrepresented Minority Ph.D Recruitment and Retention Conference, The City College of New York of The City University of New York, New York, NY. (April 2001)

"Mentoring for the 21st Century." Mentoring for the 21st Century: A Symposium, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring Program
, Washington, DC. (September 1998)

Featured in the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Biography Video, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) (September)